Blueberry, Feta and Carmelized Onion Flatbread

Posted in appetizer, brunch, entertaining, vegetarian by sbp

I recently went blueberry picking for the first time while visiting my sister and her family in VT over the summer. We stumbled upon the Organic Sunshine Valley Berry Farm right off the Vermont Route 100. They gave us a blue bucket and pointed us to the rows of blueberries just ripe and ready for picking.

You may not know this but blueberries have several health benefits along with being a tasty treat. They boost memory, support heart health and are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and fiber. That little adventure to the Berry Farm inspired me to share one of my favorite pizza recipes that boasts beautiful and sweet blueberries. This savory pizza is oh so good! I often make it for special occasions during blueberry season because it both pretty and tasty. But don’t feel you have to reserve it for just special times – It’s easy, has just a handful of ingredients, and is delicious too.

Blueberry, Feta and Carmelized Onion Flatbread

INGREDIENTS

2 naan flatbreads
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
kosher salt
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried
micro greens or baby arugula

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the naan/flatbread on the baking sheet and lightly spray or brush with water. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium low heat. Add the onion and season with a pinch of salt to taste and red pepper flakes. Cook the onions until it is wilted, about 3-5 minutes and stir in the honey, and continue to cook a fe more minutes letting the onions caramelize. Remove from heat.
While the onions cook, stir the ricotta and feta cheese in a small bowl. Spread the ricotta mixture over the naan/flatbread, and top with the honey caramelized onions. Sprinkle the blueberries on top.
Place the naan pizzas into the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the blueberries are just about ready to burst, the cheese has softened, and the naan is toasted. Remove from oven, cut into squares or slices, sprinkle with arugula and enjoy immediately.

DFTSI Blueberry Feta and Onion PizzaIMG_3759

DFTSI Blueberry Feta and Onion PizzaIMG_3771

8Sep2018

Roasted Red Peppers with Pesto and Goat Cheese

Posted in appetizer, entertaining, vegetarian by sbp

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

8-12 baby red bell peppers (or a combination of red, yellow and orange)
2 heaping tablespoons prepared pesto (I love using Kirklands from Costco)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3-4 ounces goat cheese
fresh oregano (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice mini bell peppers in half and remove stem and seeds. Place in a large bowl (or large ziplock bag) and toss with pesto, olive oil and balsamic vinegar until peppers are completely covered.
Line up peppers on a baking sheet and place into oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
Take peppers out and carefully add crumbled goat cheese to insides of pepper halves.
Place back into oven and bake for another 3-5 minutes or until goat cheese is melted.
Optional: sprinkle chopped fresh oregano over peppers before serving.

Psst! You can marinate and place peppers on a foil lined tray up to the night before if you want to shorten the preparation time right before serving.

13Nov2017

Roasted Grape Crostini

Posted in appetizer, entertaining by sbp

YIELDS 12 SERVINGS

Roasted Grapes Crostini

Roasted Grapes Crostini caramelizes sweet grapes with a light balsamic dressing before nestling them on a savory bed of ricotta and crisp, buttery toast. This is one appetizer to remember!

20 min: Prep Time
15 min: Cook Time
35 min: Total Tim Continue reading →

31Jul2017

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

Posted in appetizer, Bread, chicken, entertaining by sbp

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

Need an easy appetizer for a party? Try this one. It’s always a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

2 flatbreads (sold at specialty stores and some grocery stores)
1/4 cup shredded chicken breast
2-4 T. BBQ sauce (I like Trader Joe’s Bold and Smokey Kansas City Style)
5-8 sprigs of fresh cilantro
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3-4 thin slices of a small red onion (peeled)

Directions:

Place the flatbread on a cookie sheet and place in a 350 degree oven for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread a thin layer of bbq sauce on the flatbread.
Add shredded chicken and red onion slices.
Add a thin layer of mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and edges of bread are lightly browned.
Remove from oven and add fresh cilantro leaves.
Slice and place on a serving dish and serve immediately. Enjoy!

PSST! Shred the chicken from a leftover piece of grilled chicken breast from the night before or cut from a roasted chicken from the deli section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find flatbread, you can use a lavosh bread instead.

29May2016

Apricots with Basil, Goat Cheese, & Almonds

Posted in appetizer, entertaining, Snacks by sbp

Ingredients

4 ounces fresh goat cheese such as Laura Chenel, at room temperature

About 2 tsp. milk

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

40 dried apricots

40 almonds, preferably Marcona

2 teaspoons honey

Preparation

1. Mix together cheese, 2 tsp. milk, and basil with a wooden spoon until spreadable. Thin with more milk if necessary.

2. Spread a heaping 1/4 tsp. cheese on each apricot and top each with an almond. Drizzle with honey.

Psst! You can make this healthy appetizer up to one day ahead. Refrigerate and then bring to room temperature (30-60 minutes before serving). Drizzle with honey just before serving.

5May2016

Easy Bruschetta

Posted in appetizer, entertaining, vegetarian by sbp

Bruschetta is and italian antipasto that boasts a mixture of chopped tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and garlic, spooned over olive oil brushed slices of toasted baguette or rustic bread. It’s like summer on toast!

You can prepare the topping and toast the baguette slices ahead of time if needed. Then you can assemble right before serving.

Easy Bruschetta

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Makes 24 small slices (serves 6-10 as an appetizer)

Ingredients

2 pints of cherry tomatoes (I like to use 1 red and 1 yellow)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced* or chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
1/4 cup olive oil (plus a little more for brushing the toast)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Prepare the topping: Finely chop the cherry tomatoes (in 6 pieces) and place them in a medium bowl. Mix in the minced garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and the balsamic vinegar. Stir in the thinly sliced basil and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more to taste. Set aside to marinate.

3. Prepare the baguette slices: Use a bread knife to slice the baguette on the diagonal making half-inch thick slices. Brush one side of each slice with olive oil with a pastry brush and place on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Place in the oven on the top rack and toast for 5-6 minutes. Check for doneness and if needed, toast for 1-2 minutes more until lightly browned and slightly crunchy. Allow the toast to cool.

4. Assemble the bruschetta: Place a small spoonful of topping on toasted bread and place on a serving platter. These can be made up to 30 minutes before serving and still be crunchy due to the toasting with olive oil.

You can also serve the toasts plain with a bowl of the tomato bruschetta mixture on the side for people to top their own.

Psst! Trader Joe’s offers Bruschetta Sauce in a plastic carton in the refrigerator section and is a great substitute for making your own tomato bruschetta mixture when you are in a hurry.

13Jan2016

Masala Meatballs with Mango Ginger Chutney

Posted in appetizer, entertaining by sbp

This easy-peasy appetizer is so simple but the flavor combination is devine.